School days journal challenge

What were your favorite and least favorite subjects? Why?
I loved art and band. When I was in elementary school I wanted to grow up and be an art teacher. Then I got in band. I loved music. But I never wanted to be a band director. I like English in high school... the literature part. (Except for Tale of Two Cities, for some reason I could barely scrape my way thorough it!)I hated math, but did well in it. Science was okay, depending on the teacher. Same with History.

Who was your favorite teacher? How did he or she inspire you?
I loved my fourth grade teacher, Mr. McGraw. He was a fun loving older man who taught in interesting ways. We put on a circus for the younger grades, with a big top and all. I was in some skits and was a can-can dancer. He made learning fun. In middle school I really liked my band director. He inspired me to be a better musician. I liked my English teacher in high school, Ms. Novatnak. She quit teaching to become a lawyer. But I think my favorite was my alg. II/trig teacher Mrs. Cain. She was cool. You wanted to do homework just to please her.

Who were your school friends? Are you still in touch with them?
In elementary school I had a couple of best friends. The first one I remember was named Alison. I don't remember her last name. Then there was Melissa Leibman. I met her in kindergarten and we were friends all through elementary school. We played after school together alot. I'd go over to her house and we'd make coke floats and watch "Love American Style" on tv. She live right next door to the school. Karen Weinstock was also a good friend. I met her in 3rd grade. We both played flute (so did Melissa) in the band. We had some fun slumber parties at her house. She was Jewish, so I learned alot about it. She came over to my house and helped decorate our Christmas tree because she had never done that before. I still keep up with Karen. After the 5th grade I moved to Alabama. My first best friend was Cindy Olsen. I remember standing in line to go to lunch or PE or somewhere and she asked, "so do you go by Jacquelyn or Jackie?" on the first day of school. In 7th grade I became friends with a drummer named Jackie. We spent the summer swimming at the Y. In 7th and 8th grade I was friends with Jenny and Sandra. They both played the flute in band. I still see Jenny in a group I play in now. High school brought more friends, but kept the old. Lisa, Suzy and Maren were good friends in high school. And, yes I still keep up with them! Lisa and Suzy played flute in the band, and Suzy and I became very close in our junior and senior years. Maren influenced me a lot at church, helping me gain a testimony. And of course, there were the boys: Mike, Jim, Richard, Pat, Jarell, Ronnie, Mark, and Marc who I ended up marrying!

Were you popular? Were you unpopular? How has this affected your feelings about yourself in your adulthood?
I was popular in elementary school, unpopular in middle school, and popular in band in high school. I have always wanted to be accepted by my peers, and I still let it bother me. I'm never in the "A" crowd, even at church, but I'm comfortable with my life long friends, and that's what counts. (Having a family that loves you counts even more so!) I still get bothered when people I feel I know pretty well have parties, showers, receptions, and don't invite us.

Were you involved in extracurricular activities? Are you still interested in those kinds of activities?
Well, you can tell by now that I was involved in band. Band was life, and there wasn't much outside of it. I became active at church and that helped widen my world. I am still involved in music, and am in a Wind Ensemble. And I'm still active in my church.

If you could re-live your school days, what would you change?
Ooohh. That is a loaded question. A LOT!!!! I would change how I treated people, How much homework I did, practicing, and a lot of other stuff I don't even want to go into!